Chapter 395: Fading Memories

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Zeng Yi and Luo Xiaoyu stayed in this city for a few days. Although the city was not big, Zeng Yi was able to gather the information he needed here.

To obtain a spirit ring and become a spirit master, one must hunt spirit beasts. Spirit Beasts exist in the Spirit Beast Forest. There are two types of Spirit Beast Forests: the state-owned hunting forest and the wild spirit beast gathering grounds.

Compared to the natural spirit beast gathering grounds, the state-owned hunting forest is obviously much safer.

However, the hunting forest is not open to civilians.

To enter the hunting forest, one must have a access token. Of course, this can be obtained with money, but Zeng Yi doesn't have that much money.

The only way is to go to the wild spirit beast gathering grounds, the Spirit Beast Forest.

On this continent, there are two major natural Spirit Beast Forests: the Star Dou Forest and the Sunset Forest.

These two places are where most spirit masters like to go because each visit represents their advancement.

Of course, these places are also extremely dangerous. There are countless spirit beasts inside, and some powerful ones can even rival the Title Douluo. Therefore, they are accompanied by endless risks.

If one is not careful, they can easily lose their life within the jaws of a spirit beast.

Almost every day, spirit masters die in the Spirit Beast Forest.

Zeng Yi's current location is closest to the Sunset Forest, so he can only go there to find a suitable spirit ring and advance as a spirit master.

However, for Zeng Yi, going alone without any help would be a situation of nine deaths and one life. Moreover, he is still accompanied by Luo Xiaoyu, which would mean certain death, delivering themselves as food to the spirit beasts there.

Therefore, he cannot take Luo Xiaoyu with him. For her, as an ordinary person with no combat power, it is extremely dangerous every moment in that place. Even as a non-spirit master, Zeng Yi cannot protect her.

During this time, besides inquiring about the Spirit Beast Forest, Zeng Yi also needs to find a place where Luo Xiaoyu can stay for a while.

In an ordinary hotel room, Zeng Yi packed up his belongings and glanced at Luo Xiaoyu, who was holding a pink teddy bear on the bed. He couldn't help but feel reluctant.

"Xiaoyu, get ready, I'll take you to a place."

"Oh~"

Luo Xiaoyu obediently followed Zeng Yi out of the hotel and arrived at a relatively secluded place.

"You're here, is this your little sister? She's so cute, she will definitely grow up to be a beauty in the future."

A gentle and warm voice sounded, and Luo Xiaoyu looked up to see a long-haired young woman standing in front of her. With a pretty face and a warm smile, her soft eyes were looking at her.

Luo Xiaoyu was a little afraid of this unfamiliar woman and dared not look at her, hiding behind Zeng Yi.

"Sorry, she's a bit shy." Zeng Yi touched Luo Xiaoyu's hair and apologized awkwardly to the woman.

"It's okay, after experiencing what she has, to still look like this, she is already very strong." The gentle woman smiled and said. She had already heard about Luo Xiaoyu's experience from Zeng Yi and sympathized deeply with what she had been through. A trace of compassion could be seen in her eyes as she looked at her.

"Please come in."

The woman led Zeng Yi and Luo Xiaoyu into the courtyard.

As they entered the courtyard, Luo Xiaoyu heard the laughter of children playing. It was a small but clean and tidy courtyard, and several children were playing and having fun.

When the children saw Zeng Yi and Luo Xiaoyu coming, they curiously surrounded them.

"Sister Lin, is this a new companion?"

Lin Qiuyue smiled and nodded gently, saying, "This is your new little sister. You should get along well with her."

"Of course! As the big brother, I will definitely protect my little sister." A larger boy raised his arm and shouted excitedly.

Luo Xiaoyu, who was hiding behind Zeng Yi, heard their conversation and couldn't help feeling down. Her eyes became dim, feeling the sense of abandonment coming again.

"Big...big brother, don't you want me anymore?"

Luo Xiaoyu's tearful voice reached Zeng Yi's ears, and he looked at her, feeling remorseful.

Lin Qiuyue, in cooperation with the children, led them into the house, leaving the two siblings some space to talk.

"Why would I not want you? It's just that I have to go somewhere, and it would be very dangerous to take you with me. So I want you to stay here for a few days until I finish my mission, then I will come to pick you up."

Hearing Zeng Yi's reasoning, Luo Xiaoyu's dim eyes brightened a bit, but she still felt extremely uneasy and worried that he would abandon her.

"Are you going to the Spirit Beast Forest, Big Brother?" Luo Xiaoyu asked. Zeng Yi had told her some things about spirit masters, and combined with his recent inquiries, she had guessed something.

"Can't we not go there? Didn't you say it's very dangerous in the Spirit Beast Forest? What if..." Luo Xiaoyu's voice started to lower, bowing her head and unable to look at him as tears began to fall to the ground.

Zeng Yi couldn't help but pat her head lightly and smile, "Why are you talking nonsense? Didn't I make a promise with you? After becoming a spirit master, I will take you to see this vast and wonderful world, right?"

"I haven't given up yet, how can you say such discouraging words?"

"But, but..."

Luo Xiaoyu's choked speech, with tears the size of beans continuously falling, Zeng Yi's face showed a confident smile as he gently touched her chestnut-colored short hair, assuring her.

"Don't worry, I will definitely come back."

"Okay."

This was the only orphanage in the city. Lin Qiuyue, the gentle and water-like older sister, was the director here, as well as an ordinary spirit master. With her kind heart, she had taken in many abandoned and homeless children, providing them with education. Zeng Yi admired her character.

Because he had to go to the dangerous Spirit Beast Forest, Zeng Yi couldn't take Luo Xiaoyu with him. He could only leave her here at the orphanage for some time, and when he succeeded, he would come to pick her up.

Even if he didn't succeed and perished in the Spirit Beast Forest, Luo Xiaoyu would still have a place to stay.

This was the best choice Zeng Yi could make for now.

Zeng Yi stayed at the orphanage for one night and bid farewell to Lin Qiuyue, the director, the next day, beginning his journey as a spirit master.

At the city gate, Luo Xiaoyu held the pink teddy bear her brother bought for her and watched his departing figure. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

She had a premonition that this separation might mean they would never meet again in this lifetime. She wanted to follow him, even if it meant descending into an abyss without regrets.

But she couldn't do that. Becoming a spirit master was her brother's dream, and as someone without power, she could only become a burden to him.

Perhaps this was the destined ending. She and him were not meant to be part of the same world. With no spirit power, her life would always be ordinary. Maybe in the future, she would find an ordinary man like herself, get married, have children, and live out her ordinary life.

He, on the other hand, had an infinite and exciting future ahead of him. The gap between them would only widen, creating an insurmountable rift.

"Brother..."

The girl's heart-wrenching cry came from behind, causing the boy to pause his steps and turn around. She was there, gazing at him with tearful eyes full of reluctance.

"What if! I said if! You don't come back, how can I find you?"

Upon hearing this, a gentle smile appeared on the boy's face.

"I will become a spirit master. In the future, I will make the name Sword Master of Tempest resound throughout the continent. By then, as long as you inquire about the Sword Master of Tempest, you will definitely find me!"

With that, the boy who made a vow separated from the girl and embarked on his own adventure.

Unexpectedly, the spirit ring he successfully obtained and becoming a spirit master trapped him in the Spirit Beast Forest for six years.

When he finally emerged from the Spirit Beast Forest, the boy had grown into a young teenager.

When he arrived at that city, he found that the orphanage had become a ruin.

According to the locals, three years ago, a huge fire broke out here, and no one from the orphanage survived.

This news struck the boy's mind like a thunderstorm, shattering his spirit.

He sat on the ruins and remained in a daze for three days and nights.

The sense of justice that once burned in his heart had led him to rescue the girl from the clutches of the demons. But in the end, he had pushed her into another abyss with his own hands.

If he hadn't intervened and saved the girl because of his boring sense of justice, she might have been sold to some noble as a servant.

Perhaps she would have become someone else's slave, but it would still be better than death, right?

Zeng Yi pondered for a long time. Was his decision back then really the right one?

If he hadn't saved her.

If he had left that city without her.

The outcome might not have been like this.